Students involved in social activism tend to have career success, Clemson study says

A recent study co-authored by a Clemson professor found that students who engage in social activism tend to have high-status occupations as adults. Asha Marie this year sparked a community discussion on whether Wade Hampton High School should be renamed.(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)Buy Photo

Disadvantaged students who engage in social activism tend to have high-status occupations as adults, according to a recent study by a Clemson University professor and University of Michigan researchers.

"Young people who engaged in social activist-oriented activities thought they would make it further in terms of their career trajectories and indeed they did attain higher-status occupations in adulthood," said Luke Rapa, an assistant professor of adolescent development at Clemson.

Among those high-status and often high-paying occupations: physician, lawyer, judge, educational leaders and business executives.

Youth social activism helps students develop confidence — that they control their own destiny — as well as leadership and critical-thinking skills, Rapa said.

"Students who engage in social action take the time to reflect critically on their surroundings," Rapa said. "That critical thinking motivates them and that same sense of motivation may be what pays off for them in whatever career they choose."

Examples of activism considered by the study included donating time or money to political action groups, and participation in women's rights groups and protests.

The findings suggest that teachers who nudge disadvantaged students toward activism could be leading them to later career success.

Educators, however, often shy away from hot-button issues in the classroom.

"It's good for young people to engage in these conversations and it's good for educators to provide space for students to engage in conversations around inequity and injustice," Rapa said. "But I'm not sure we've trained teachers well to do that. I think we need to do a bit more work to provide teachers with the resources to know how to do that in meaningful ways."

The research, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, used data from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study, a long-term project that has followed a sample of children from 23 public middle schools in Maryland since 1991.

A study co-authored by Clemson professor Luke Rapa found that disadvantaged students who engage in social activism tend to have high-status occupations as adults.(Photo: Courtesy of Clemson University)

The Developmental Psychology study, which Rapa co-authored with Matthew Diemer and Josefina Banales of the University of Michigan, specifically looked at African-American students from disadvantaged homes.

ENCOURAGING ACTIVISM

The study comes as welcome news to Asha Marie, a senior at Wade Hampton High School who sparked a community discussion earlier this year about whether the high school's name should be changed.

Many students object to honoring Wade Hampton III, a Confederate lieutenant general and slave-holder. Many other students at the school, however, want to keep the name.

Marie has often encouraged her peers to speak out on social and political issues.

"I definitely think students should be more politically engaged," Marie said. "I think a lot of kids feel like they shouldn’t care about politics because they don’t feel they can make any kind of difference just because they don’t have the right to vote yet. But we can help on political campaigns and help shape the kind of world we want to come into."

Young people, though they can't vote, can influence opinion through such things as social media, Marie said.

"We aren’t politically powerless as teenagers," she said. "That’s a huge misconception that I think we need to better address."

South Carolina schools could do a much better job of tackling social issues rather than avoiding potential controversy or uncomfortable conversations, Marie said.

"I think, especially in the South, schools should place a priority on promoting civil dialogue on issues of social justice," Marie said. "I go to school where the majority student and teacher population is white. There is definitely a lack of understanding of students of other perspectives and walks of life. I do think dialogue paves the way for more compassion, inclusivity and just better understanding of those around us who are different. When students feel like their voice matters and that their perspective and experience is respected, of course we’re going to have better relations."

OPENING DOORS

Though the study looked only at the experiences of African Americans from disadvantaged homes, its conclusions can likely be applied to other demographic groups, Rapa said.

"I do think there's reason to believe that other marginalized youth would potentially have similar outcomes," he said.

In introducing topics of social justice, teachers may fear that they'll be perceived as being too political, but they could be giving disadvantaged students a leg up in the working world, Rapa said.

"It's meaningful to see that by broaching these topics and supporting the development of critical consciousness in students, educators are actually opening the door for marginalized youth to better navigate the structures that marginalized them in the first place," Rapa said.

"One of the current projects I'm working on is looking at the most appropriate and beneficial ways that teachers can engage with young people to address issues of inequality and efforts to promote social change," he said.

Paul Hyde covers education and everything else under the South Carolina sun. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.